McLaren drilling nails high-grade titanium from surface

McLaren Minerals managing director Simon Finnis said: “More of what we’ve come to expect from McLaren. Broad intervals, with good grades, all from surface. What really sets McLaren apart, and what we’ve said all along, is that it is a very consistent deposit, and a very straightforward deposit, which will lead to ease of mining at scale, and a traditional processing flowsheet.”

The results land at a time of strengthening mineral sands prices and renewed corporate interest in the sector, with some major Australian producers flagging constrained supply and higher contracted zircon prices. Add a recent wave of M&A activity underscoring strategic interest in WA mineral sands assets and solid drilling results are likely to be well received.

With no cut-off grade applied, the average results from each hole offer a direct view of the grade and thickness profile available for a mine planner. McLaren says the continuation of high-grade intersections gives it flexibility in the mine plan to ensure the project gets the best possible start.

While the McLaren project is its main game, it has also moved to establish a second front in its mineral sands growth strategy. The company recently completed the acquisition of the zircon-rich Barossa project in South Australia, giving it another platform for growth in the prospective Eucla basin.

The McLaren project sits in the western Eucla Basin of WA, a province known to host economic mineral sand deposits. With an enormous resource already on the books and a market that is showing renewed signs of life, McLaren looks to be ticking all the right boxes on the path to development.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au